Perez Hilton: Op-ed on Taylor Swift’s sexuality is disrespectful

(NewsNation) — The New York Times faces backlash over a controversial op-ed speculating about Taylor Swift’s sexuality. Celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton says the guest essay titled “Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do” reads like “fan fiction.”

In the opinion piece, editor Anna Marks suggested Swift, through some of her songs and performances, has tried to hint she identifies with the queer community.

“I know that discussing the potential of a star’s queerness before a formal declaration of identity feels, to some, too salacious and gossip-fueled to be worthy of discussion,” Marks wrote.

“I share many of these reservations,” Marks continued. “But the stories that dominate our collective imagination shape what our culture permits artists and their audiences to say and be. Every time an artist signals queerness and that transmission falls on deaf ears, that signal dies. Recognizing the possibility of queerness — while being conscious of the difference between possibility and certainty — keeps that signal alive.”

Marks’ piece has sparked criticism from Swift’s friends and associates, with one telling CNN: “There seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is — all under the protective veil of an ‘opinion piece.’”

While the pop star has supported the LGBTQ community in the past, she denied that she is a member of the LGBTQ community.

“Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male,” Swift told Vogue in a 2019 interview. “I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of.”

Hilton said the op-ed seemed consistent with speculations among a small group of Swift fans, but that it’s “so far removed from reality.”

“As a big Taylor Swift fan, her whole work, her whole career, has been about honesty, transparency. Not only is this incredibly speculative, but it’s disrespectful because you’re saying she’s a liar,” Hilton said.

Hilton, who has expressed regret for outing celebrities in the past, thinks Swift would be up front with her fans if she was queer.

“I think if she were even the smallest bit queer that she would be open about it if she wanted to. And you know what, she doesn’t have to,” Hilton said.

The piece comes as the superstar wrapped up a year of what many considered pop music dominance. Swift’s Eras Tour was the first tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, and she was named Spotify’s Global Top Artist in 2023 with more than 26.1 billion streams. The 12-time Grammy Award winner has also made headlines for watching her boyfriend Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce play at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.